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Breakfast

Morning is about indulgence, not denial.

I WAKE UP LOOKING forward to breakfast. Big surprise, right? Lately, I will cook up an egg and place it on top of a slice of high-quality, protein- infused bread, and that's my breakfast, along with coffee and my crossword puzzle. It's easy, it's healthy, it makes me feel good, and it leaves me satisfied. But generally I'm not a one-kind-of-breakfast gal. Sure, I get into routines, especially when I work, but I like variety. I like ease and practicality, too. (That's more of a life philosophy than a requirement for breakfast.) My schedule will vary from having to get up at 5 a.m. for a 6 o'clock call time on the set to being able to sleep in, and my breakfasts will reflect my schedule or lack of one, particularly on the weekends, when I have the time to linger at the table and luxuriate in my food choices.

As you will discover, the breakfast recipes I have included here range from different kinds of pancakes to various uses for eggs to muffins and a super- healthy smoothie. I am leaving simple things like toast and a bowl of fruit to you, though I've had mornings when I could have used the most basic instructions: Hold the knife in your right hand. Use your left hand to hold the butter dish so it doesn't run away ...

By the way, I'm a fan of real butter. I will not use margarine. My mother has given me recipes from 30 years ago that call for margarine, but I don't make those. Using butter is a little thing, there is a tad more fat, but it makes a significant difference in taste and quality. I would rather spend 15 more minutes on the treadmill and enjoy butter's rich texture and flavor than deny myself.

To me, morning is about indulgence, not denial. I have heard that it's the best time of day to have sweets. Unfortunately for me, I like them late at night, and I often have to slap myself silly to keep from eating them. Everyone is different, though. You have to listen to your body, especially in the morning when the day is new and full of possibilities. Do you feel like grains? Do you feel like the tangy freshness of fruit? Do you need the hug that you only get from eggs Benedict?

I wake up assuming that I am going to be healthy with my meals all day, and I want to nourish that feeling, not derail it. Why do otherwise? Laziness? That's not an excuse. This is your time. If brunch is the bubble bath of meals, a Monday through Friday breakfast is a refreshingly hot shower. I feel best when I start my day off with a protein and carb combo. I wake up with the desire to be physical, and as a result I crave fuel. It's probably because I've put working out in my daily routine in the last few years and my metabolism has changed for the better.

I also crave the hugs my grown-up son still gives me when I make him his favorite breakfast, Pumpkin Pancakes (page 9), as I have done since he was a little boy, and that's why I included the recipe. Nothing wrong with some affection for mama at the breakfast table. It beats sweetener in my coffee. I also love taking leftovers out of the fridge. I must admit I feel so clever everytime Tom and I transform asparagus and broccoli from the night before into an egg white frittata. I know it's not rocket science. It's not even culinary science. It's breakfast. But it's delicious. And that's the point.


CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

To this day, I can't make this without thinking back to Wolfie's elementary school days, when I made it almost every weekend--the sweet solution for using up whatever slightly stale sandwich bread happened to be left after the week's lunches. Now I like to use challah or Hawaiian sweet bread (also known as Portuguese sweet bread on the East Coast). If you want to slenderize this classic brunch dish, just use egg whites, 2% milk, and a few extra drops of vanilla. Rather than pour maple syrup--always the real stuff--all over them, put the syrup in a small finger bowl and cut the toast into thin rectangles for dipping. Wolfie always loved it that way.

YIELD Serves 4-6 (makes about 12 1/2 inch slices)

5 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound challah loaf, sliced into 1/2" thick slices (save the ends for another use)
1 teaspoon unsalted butter for the skillet
Confectioners' sugar
Warm maple syrup

WHISK TOGETHER THE eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Spread the bread slices in a large glass baking dish (they may overlap) and pour the egg mixture over them. Let sit for about 2 minutes, then flip the bread slices over and let sit for 2 minutes more.

Preheat a large well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add enough butter just to coat the surface of the pan. Working in batches, slide the bread slices into the pan and cook until golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a warmed platter. Tap confectioners' sugar through a sieve onto the French toast and serve warm with the maple syrup.

Per serving (when serving 4): 427 calories, 13 g protein, 72 g carbohydrates, 9 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 1 g fiber, 532 mg sodium

Per serving (when serving 6): 391 calories, 13 g protein, 63 g carbohydrates, 19 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 1 g fiber, 531 mg sodium


LEMON CURD PANCAKES

Give me any breakfast dish that makes liberal use of lemons. These are a special treat, one that I make for Sunday brunch when the lemons on my trees are at their peak. The original recipe, from an inn in Sonoma, called for cottage cheese, but being Italian, I couldn't help but switch it out for ricotta. Making lemon curd is easy, but you can also buy good-quality versions at specialty markets.

YIELD Makes about 30 silver-dollar-size pancakes and 1 cup lemon curd Serves 6

LEMON CURD
4 large egg yolks
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 1/2 lemons)
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled

PANCAKES
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Zest of 3 lemons, grated, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup (4 ounces) ricotta cheese
Unsalted butter for the skillet
Creme fraiche (optional)

TO MAKE THE LEMON CURD: Combine the egg yolks, lemon zest and juice, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk to thoroughly incorporate. Cook over medium heat, whisking nearly constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes.

Take the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the cold butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until melted and incorporated. Transfer the curd to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly against its surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

TO MAKE THE PANCAKES: Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, egg, and zest until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the ricotta.

Preheat a large well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium- high heat, and add enough butter to just coat. When a drop of water thrown into the skillet bounces across the surface vigorously, add heaping tablespoon-size dollops of batter, allowing enough room between each for them to spread slightly. Cook until the bubbles begin to pop and hollow out on the surface of the pancakes, adjusting the heat as necessary, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for about 1 minute more. Serve garnish with the zest, curd, and creme fraiche (if using).

Per serving: 349 calories, 8 g protein, 40 g carbohydrates, 18 g total fat, 10 g saturated fat, 1 g fiber, 150 mg sodium

A Good, Long Run

I WAS GETTING SET to run my first half-marathon when I ate Lemon Curd Pancakes (page 7) for the first time. At the time, I was setting goals for myself, and this half-marathon was one of them. I had only started running the year before. My trainer said he was going to teach me how to run. I said, "Oh right." But he did, and we worked our way up from a 10-minute run to a full marathon. On the night before the race, I did what all marathon runners do and carb loaded. I had been on a strict diet, but I wanted to eat something decadent before the race. I saw the pancakes on the menu at the Sonoma Fairmont Mission Inn where I was staying and immediately said, "I can have these. I'm running 13 miles tomorrow." I beat Tom by 8 minutes! Not only were the pancakes amazing, but my time was, too.


PUMPKIN PANCAKES

Wolfie looooves pumpkin pie the way I love lemons. Of course, always make it for Thanksgiving, which means I tend to overbuy the canned pumpkin. I'll take the aroma of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves wafting through the house anytime, especially around the holidays, which is when I'm most likely to make these moist, fragrant pancakes. Folding in the whipped egg whites gives them a wonderful lightness.

YIELD Makes about 16 / Serves 4 for brunch or 8 for breakfast

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup puree solid-pack pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Unsalted butter for the skillet
Warm maple syrup

COMBINE THE FLOUR, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the milk, egg yolks, pumpkin, and oil until just combined. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high until they hold stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold the whites into the batter.

Preheat a large well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium- high heat, and add just enough butter to coat. When a drop of water thrown into the skillet bounces across the surface vigorously, add 1/4-cup dollops of batter, allowing enough room between each for them to spread slightly. Cook until the edges appear cooked, adjusting the heat as necessary, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook about 2 minutes more. Serve warm with the maple syrup.

Per serving (when serving 4): 467 calories, 8 g protein, 63 g carbohydrates, 21 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 2 g fiber, 170 mg sodium

Per serving (when serving 8): 285 calories, 4 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 11 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 1 g fiber, 87 mg sodium